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Story Telling Games with Many Possibilities in Therapy

Posted on
September 28, 2017 by
Bilingual Therapies

Imagine a simple game made of cubes which has little drawings on them. This game can not only be used to create unique stories, but also get kids to come out of their shells. The game is Rory’s Story Cubes, and the original version has nine cubes with six different pictures on each one. To play, you roll the cubes and use each picture to help tell a unique story. The beauty of the game is that each person may see the cube slightly different. One person may see a man, but another may see someone running. The game has become so popular that there are now a wide variety of add-on sets. There are Rory’s Story Cubes set which focus on voyages, actions, and fantasia. In addition to this, there are currently a dozen mini three cube “mix it up” sets to add on to the other sets. If you have students who are fans of certain characters, be sure to check out more StoryWorld sets like Doctor Who, Adventure Time, and Batman.

So how can you use Rory’s Story Cubes with your students in therapy sessions? Here are some ideas that therapists of different disciplines can utilize in sessions:

Occupational Therapy – Picking up the cubes and putting them into placeholders works on fine motor skills. Older students may then write their stories on paper and practice their pen grip and proper letter formation. To add some fun, kids can also draw a picture to go along with the story that they make up and share with everyone in the group.

Speech and Language – Kids can work together to tell a story aloud using the cubes. This will help them with their confidence when talking. Older students will also be able to work on different verb tenses within their story. Tell one story in the past and one in the future.

Physical Therapy – While you wouldn’t think these would help children working on gross motor skills they can. Use the actions box and tell a story. You can record it and afterward, kids can act them out. This will get kids jumping, running, and doing other motor activities.

The sky is the limit with using the cubes. They can help with team building, social skill work, letting kids be silly if they are upset, and more. Think about sending the fun home for children to share with their families. Include instructions which are personalized for each of the multilingual families. Explain the purpose of the activity and how they can be involved and assist their children.